What happens to my employment during a fostering assessment?

Your employment normally continues throughout a fostering assessment. Applying to foster does not, by itself, require you to resign, reduce your hours or tell your employer immediately. The assessment will instead consider how your work commitments fit with the practical responsibilities of fostering and whether any changes would be needed before you are approved or offered a placement.

What the assessment looks at

Your assessing social worker will need to understand your working arrangements in enough detail to assess the stability and availability you can offer a child. This may include discussing:

• your usual working hours, shift pattern and travel requirements;
• whether your hours vary or you are required to work overtime, nights or weekends;
• how much notice you receive of changes to your schedule;
• how you would manage school runs, appointments and other commitments;
• who could provide practical support if work demands changed unexpectedly; and
• whether your proposed fostering role would be compatible with the needs of the children you may care for.

There is no single employment pattern that applies to every foster carer. The important issue is whether your circumstances allow you to provide safe, reliable and consistent care, with a realistic plan for managing work alongside fostering.

Will your employer be contacted?

You should discuss this with your fostering agency at the start of the assessment. Depending on the agency’s assessment process and your circumstances, an employment reference or other confirmation of your role may be requested. The agency should explain what information is needed and how it will be used. You can also ask how to manage the conversation if you are concerned about confidentiality or are not ready to make a formal disclosure at work.

An employer may need to understand practical issues such as attending appointments, completing required training or responding to a child’s needs. However, the agency cannot decide your employer’s workplace arrangements. You remain responsible for checking your contract, workplace policies and any procedures for requesting leave or changes to your hours.

Do you need to take time off during the assessment?

Assessment activities are arranged around the information the agency needs to gather from you and your household. Some activities may require you to be present, and you will need to agree how these fit around your working pattern. Plan ahead rather than assuming that every appointment can take place outside work. Ask the agency for an outline of the assessment stages and identify any dates or periods when your work makes attendance difficult.

Depending on your employer’s policies, you may need to use annual leave, request a change to your working hours or agree another workplace arrangement. The agency can explain its own requirements, but it cannot guarantee that an employer will approve a particular request.

What if your job involves travel, shifts or unpredictable hours?

These arrangements do not automatically prevent you from fostering, but they must be examined carefully. The assessment will consider how often you are away, how long you are away for and whether your schedule could affect your ability to care for a child. It will also consider the age and needs of any child you might be approved to foster, as some placements require more availability and involvement than others.

You should be open about likely changes to your employment, including a promotion, relocation, change of shift pattern or increase in travel. A plan that works during assessment may need to be reviewed if your job changes. Possible options might include adjusting your working pattern, using agreed support from family or friends, or considering placements that are compatible with your commitments. Any arrangement must be practical, dependable and centred on the child’s welfare.

Does passing the assessment mean your job must change?

No. Approval does not automatically require you to leave employment. Your fostering agency will continue to consider your availability and circumstances when discussing potential placements. If a placement is likely to conflict with your job, do not rely on informal assumptions; discuss the situation with your supervising social worker and agree what can realistically be managed before accepting it.

It is also important to distinguish between the assessment decision and your employment decision. The agency assesses whether you can foster safely within your circumstances. Your employer deals with your contract, leave, working hours and workplace rights. Taking advice from your employer, trade union or an appropriate adviser may be useful where fostering could affect your employment arrangements.

How to prepare

• Write down your normal working pattern, travel time and any periods when your availability changes.
• Check your employment contract and workplace policies on leave, flexible working and outside responsibilities.
• Think through school holidays, appointments, emergencies and who could help when you are at work.
• Tell your assessing social worker about possible changes to your job rather than waiting for them to become a problem.
• Ask which assessment activities require attendance and what evidence or references may be needed.
• Keep your plan realistic: support should be available consistently, not only when your work pattern happens to be predictable.

Employment is therefore considered as part of your wider fostering circumstances, not treated as an automatic barrier. The most useful approach is to provide accurate information, plan for the time involved in assessment and work with your agency to identify an arrangement that protects both your employment and the child’s need for dependable care.